Nov. 6, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF volleyball team will play its final regular-season Conference USA road-series this weekend when it heads to Huntington, W. Va., for a meeting with Marshall Friday at 7 p.m., before facing East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Knights hold a 14-13 record on the season and a 6-7 league mark.
Marshall Thundering Herd (10-13, 3-10 C-USA)
The Thundering Herd entertain the Knights on Friday night with a 10-13 overall record and a 3-10 C-USA mark after losing their last five league matches and their last nine of 11 conference match-ups. Emily Sullivan and Elizabeth Fleming pace the Herd offense, with Sullivan averaging 2.84 kills per set and Fleming posting a 10.69 assists per set average.
East Carolina Pirates (6-19, 2-9 C-USA)
The Pirates have been struggling in league play throughout the 2008 season, holding a 2-11 record prior to hosting the Knights on Sunday afternoon, while holding a 12-16 mark overall. East Carolina's only wins in C-USA play have come against Marshall and, most recently, SMU. Leading the way for the Pirates is Lizzy Bruin, who boasts a 2.13 kills-per-set average, while teammate Melissa Zentner is right behind averaging 2.12 kills per set.
Future's So Bright
For the second-consecutive year, middle blocker Jenny Heppert was honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday with a spot on the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team. The senior holds a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average and is expected to graduate in the spring with a degree in biology. The senior has played in all 27 matches in 2008 and leads the team in attack percentage (.334), block assists (81), blocks per set (0.83), service aces (26) and service aces per set (0.25).
Dig for the Cure
The Knights tallied 72 digs when they held their third-annual "Dig for the Cure" match Nov. 1 in a five-set victory over UTEP. Fans pledged money per dig earned by the Black and Gold in the match or made a flat donation to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation and its crusade in the battle against breast cancer.
Making Strides in the League
The Knights' win over UTEP on Sunday tied the team for its most wins in Conference USA since joining the league in 2005. In the inaugural season in C-USA, the Black and Gold posted a 6-10 league-mark. The Knights currently hold a 6-7 record in conference matches and need only one more win to become the program's winningest team in C-USA competition.
Road Warrior
Throughout the season, the Knights have played a majority of their matches on the road, with this weekend's C-USA series being its last away from home during the regular season. Janine Williams has carried the Black and Gold in enemy territory, leading UCF with 121 kills and a 3.10 kills per set average. The sophomore led the Black and Gold in kills in five of the 10 matches as the away team and posted a career-high 25 kills on the road at Georgia State.
Against Marshall...
The Knights are 2-7 in the all-time series with the Thundering Herd after defeating the squad in a five-set showdown earlier in the season at The Venue at UCF. The win in 2008 marked the first for UCF over Marshall since joining C-USA and the first since a 3-0 victory in 1992. Erin Campbell posted a double-double with a career-best 22 kills and 14 digs in the win, while Stephanie Serna, Janine Williams and Jenny Heppert all added double-digits in kills as well. Setter Lauren Rosenthal also had a career night for UCF, posting 67 assists, her highest single-match total to date.
Against East Carolina...
The Pirates hold a 6-2 advantage over UCF in the all-time series heading into Sunday's contest, despite falling to the Knights earlier in the season at The Venue at UCF. In it's second five-set thriller of the weekend, the Black and Gold defeated the visiting Pirates for the first time in league competition and the first time since 1979. That year, UCF defeated East Carolina, 2-0 (15-4, 15-4) and went on to the AIAW National Championsip tournament. In this season's match against the Pirates, Stephanie Serna posted a match-high 20 kills to pace the UCF offense, while Lauren Rosenthal nearly matched her career-high with 66 assists.
30 and Counting
One of UCF's all-time leading blockers, senior Jenny Heppert has posted at least one block in 30-consecutive contests heading into Friday's contest at Marshall, dating back to last season. Heppert started the streak exactly one year ago on Sunday, Nov. 9, after totaling 4.0 total blocks against Southern Miss and extended the streak after posting 6.0 total blocks in the win over UTEP.
Making History
With one more win in 2008, the Knights will surpass their season win total from both 2007 and 2006 combined. In 2006, the Black and Gold finished the season with a 5-24 overall record, while ending the year with a 9-23 record in 2007. With 14 wins already this season, UCF has tied the mark and has put together its most wins in a single season since 2003. That season, the Knights went 23-7, took home the Atlantic Sun Championship title and went on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Putting It Down
Erin Campbell, Janine Williams and Stephanie Serna will all finish the 2008 season with more than 300 kills, as the trio carry 345, 327 and 301 kills, respectively, for the Knights' offense heading into the weekend. The last time UCF had a threesome with 300+ kills in a season was in 2003. That year, the trio of Emily Watts, Tanya Jarvis and Amanda Stoutjesdyk totaled 417, 381 and 349 kills, respectively.
The UCF volleyball team will honor its two seniors, Heppert and Serna, in its final home match of the season on Saturday, Nov. 15, when it hosts Southern Miss at The Venue at UCF at 7 p.m. For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
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